MovieChat Forums > Le fantôme de la liberté (1974) Discussion > The Piano Scene.

The Piano Scene.

posted 17 years ago by crappydoo
3 replies | jump to latest

The piano scene is like any other scene with a minor difference being of the sister being unclothed. The characters on the other hand behave normally like they would in everyday life.

Through that scene, Bunuel is asking his audience to rethink their basic values in life. Human beings are naturally unclothed. However society has changed the essence of humanity by requiring all of us to wear clothes. This has gone on to such an extent that the mere sight of another human in his/her elements creates confusing emotions within all of us adults.

Please consider this: Would the relationship between siblings be any different if they were in their natural states?

Its a very deep philosophical question. If humans were normally unclothed in society today, would their way of life and emotions and relationships with others be any different than what is now? Would societal and sexual norms also have been different otherwise?

What do you think?

[–] JohnnySodoff 17 years ago

Sadly, I don't think our society would have ever gotten anywhere without clothes. It's not really a sexual issue, nudity being the norm could maybe be a pretty positive thing (except in the cold) if it didn't already come with social stigmas.

There are those that would argue that clothes aren't natural, so why wear them, but what in our society today IS natural? Nothing, everything is fabricated. Natural soap? Not really natural since soap doesn't grow on trees. I think clothes were one of our first steps in developing as a race.

I think I may have gotten off the point for a second but... eh.

[–] StaunchWoman 12 years ago

I think clothes were one of our first steps in developing as a race.

For sure! And since religion (any) was much stronger and prevalent than it is now, I think clothes were put into practice due to shame, brought on by religion.

We've met before, haven't we?

[–] fred-287 9 years ago

Re the question "Would the relationship between siblings be any different if they were in their natural states?" Maybe what Bunuel was suggesting here is that the guy had sexual feelings about his sister which of course he could never acknowledge to her or probably even himself. One thing I always liked about Surrealism is that it was big on "showing" as opposed to "telling." From "Andalusian Dog Onwards" Bunuel used imagery to symbolize desires (especially male sexual desire, which of course he could relate to). A lot of the stiltedly polite dialogue in his movies (especially those in the French language) seems designed almost as a counterpoint to the bizarre imagery. By the way for those who haven't read Bunuel's autobiography, I would recommend it as insight to the iconoclastic yet also oddly conformist mentality that informs most of his films. I especially liked his wish in the book that after he died, he'd like to come back once a decade to smoke a cigarette and read a newspaper....